I was safe
by RayatheZig
Summary: Tony and Bruce have been together a while. So have Tony and Pepper... unfortunatly only one of the relationships can carry on. A story that I based of a comic I found on okellyjaneo's tumblr. Just a Tony/Bruce fluff story with a little bit of Thor being an idiot. Prizes to whoever can spot spiderman!


When you get into a relationship you have to deal with all of the little quirks your other half has. Unfortunately my other halves quirks happen to be very large and green. That doesn't mean I'm going to give up though, no way. Bruce Banner is the best thing that ever happened to me. Just don't tell Pepper that.

I know it seems wimpy, spineless, pathetic, but I haven't told Pepper yet. Pepper Pots, my supposed girlfriend. I should have known our relationship was doomed from the beginning. Isn't it almost all work places policies not to sleep with your employees? Even though I have been working with Bruce, that's completely different. I don't actually pay him. And we're not there by choice.

I also haven't told Bruce that I haven't told Pepper. Now that I think about it that last one was probably the least sensible idea. Peppers anger usually just means her not talking to me and in this case her becoming all fangirly over me and Bruce. Bruce's anger is about two hundred times as bad. It's not the fact that he turns into a colossal green rage monster that gets to me. Its how broken he is afterwards that could send me to tears. I can't do a thing about it. It's not like I can take away his pain.

That's why I've made the decision. I have to tell her. And then make her swear to secrecy about me not telling her. Hulk out sessions must be avoided at all costs.

"Pepper?" God don't use that tone of voice, it just makes you sound like a little kid again.

"Yes, love." Oh no, this is going to be much harder than I anticipated. "What is it?"

"I need to tell you something and you need to promise not to tell Bruce that I haven't told you before now. I don't think that even made sense."

"It made perfect sense, now, what did you want to tell me?" Oh no, not that facial expression. She's so trusting. I honestly think this will break her heart. But I've decided, Bruce's heart is the only one I care about breaking at the moment. "Tony, Tony, are you still there?"

"Yeah, sorry. You and me, it's just, it's just…"

"Tony, what are you trying to say?"

"There's someone else."

"Oh god, I knew this would happen, who is she?"

"It's not like…"

"Anthony John Howard Stark I have a right to know who she is!"

"He's not a she… its Bruce."

"What?"

"I've been thinking recently, the feelings I have towards him, they're more than friendship. He understands me." Please don't say I'm going to cry, I'm Tony f-ing Stark, I don't cry. Ok apparently I do.

"God Tony, I'm sorry, I didn't realise. Okay maybe I had a slight inkling, I mean we haven't been together, I mean _together, _together in ag…"

"Ok Pepper that's enough, you're rambling."

"Sorry."

"You can't tell him that I didn't tell you sooner, we don't want to cause an incident."

"Why, how long have you and him, had these feelings?"

"Had these feelings?"

"I'm sorry; basic training doesn't cover how to deal with situations like this."

"I, Oh never mind. It's been about six months, for me at least. He's only known for four."

"That long, wow. But I totally understand why you don't want him to know. I mean, big and green and all. How do you deal with that by the way? Sorry, too personal, I understand."

"Right, well thanks Pepper. It's great knowing that you understand."

"No problem Tony."

Well that was surprisingly easy. I feel a smirk and a cocky walk coming on. Oh there I go.

"What art thou so overjoyed about, man of iron?" Sometimes I wonder how someone as large as Thor, prince of Asgard, can sneak up on people.

"Oh, Hi Thor. It's nothing; I just plucked up the courage to tell Pepper something." For some reason we were both heading to the kitchen, which is the place, now I think about it, were Thor spends most of his time.

"Dost thou need nourishment?" Thor said holding up some pop tarts.

"No, I'm fine."

"So, did thou tell lady Pepper about thou's relationship with the one that smashes?"

"Wait, how did you know about that?"

"Captain of the Rogers may have mentioned it over nourishment. I think the Birdie one told him and then the parker child may have told him. We all blame the Ginger one."

"What, Black Widow?"

"Yes… Is this bad?" Oh god I was panicking.

"Please tell me Bruce doesn't know."

"Please tell you I don't know what?" Oh god. Oh god no. Speaking of Gods I threw Thor a look that I hope said something along the lines of 'If you tell him anything I will kick your godly ass back to Asgard'. Of course he took it as a look that said, 'Go ahead, ignore my distress, I don't care if he Hulks out in the kitchen'.

"We were just discussing the matter of how the man of iron has only just told the Lady Pepper about your shenanigans." I started to ramble.

"What the hell his he talking about, I can never understand that European twat. How can you be from space and still sound like you just walked out of a Shakespeare play? And what does he mean by shenanigans? That could mean anything, anything at all. It could mean…"

"Tony I have a pretty good idea of what he meant." I could see the all so familiar warm brown of his eyes melt into the acid green of the Hulk. He began to swell in size and his skin, usually pale due to countless hours spent in the lab was stretching over previously non-existent muscles, turning emerald as it went. His dress shirt and trousers ripped and strained at the seams as he grew.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Thor backing out of the room muttering to himself about fetching the 'Captain of the Rogers'. I just stared, frozen to the spot as I watched the man I love turn into a monster.

No, I shouldn't think about it that way. He's still the same man on the inside. He can't help it. It may have been slightly my fault this time. God, I'm a horrible person. I had to sort this out before the rest of the Avengers got here and tried to do something violent.

"Hulk? Bruce? Are you ok?"

"Tony no tell Pepper?"

"Look I'm sorry big guy, I'm a wimp, always have been. I suppose I was afraid that you would eventually realise how much of a mistake you'd made by choosing me. If you left me, I would have no one to turn to apart from her." By this time Hulk was a bout a foot away from me. He towered over me, but I showed no fear. Ok, I felt fear, but didn't show it. People being afraid of you is shit. That at least I could relate to.

"Tony hurt Bruce. He think you cheat on Pepper with him."

"I know that's how it sounds. But me and Pepper, we never spent time together. We were never as close as you and I are."

"Tony is idiot."

"I know it's terrible. I should hand in my membership card for the Science Bros."

"Hulk think you funny."

"It is one of my endearing features. You still need to smash stuff?" It was then that Hulk started laughing. And throwing his arms about. And that's when it hit me. His arm I mean. And I went crashing into a wall. And blacked out.

When I woke up I had a pounding headache and my back was seriously hurting. Nothing new then. I reached up to feel a line of stitches running over my forehead. Now that was something new.

"Good morning sir," Oh god, Jarvis, exactly what I needed, "its 6:30, the current wea…"

"Mute." I didn't particularly need to deal with my stupid AI at the moment. I sat up.

"Nughhh," I turned to my left. There was Bruce, back to his normal self and curled up in a tight ball. Normal after Hulk out behaviour. Just as agenising, if not even move considering how deep the cut on my head must have been for me to require _that _many stitches.

"Hey…"

"To...ny…?" God that voice just made me feel extra guilty.

"It's all right Bruce… Big Guy. It's ok now. Just go back to sleep."

"T…Thanks…"

"For what?"

"Still talking to me."

"Thanks for still talking to me!"

"'s all right… anytime." He replied sleepily. It was right then that I realised that Doctor Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk, wasn't going anywhere. I was safe.


End file.
